Australia v Japan, USA v Czech Republic, Italy v Ghana

Funnily enough, I was engaged elsewhere when the Australians and Japanese kicked off Group F at 2pm so I have to make judgement on the highlights, forgetting to record the match. This is something which I prefer not to do if I can see the match live, so that I'll have all the minutes at my disposal for intense viewing. Nonetheless, the speaking moments of this match was that the Japanese took the lead on 26mins when Shunsuke Nakamura drifted over a cross from the right and Mark Schwarzer came to collect it but seemed to have been impeded by the presence of Naohiro Takahara and Atsushi Yanagisawa's left arm. The ball went in and the referee gave the goal, to the stunned faces of the Australians. They aimed at levelling quickly, Mark Viduka became a constant menace to the Japanese defence when he aimed a left-foot effort then a right-foot follow up that were both blocked by keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, and Viduka went on to back heel into the path of the arriving Marco Bresciano for an effort that was tame enough for Kawaguchi to gather.

For almost an hour after Japan had scored, Australia were in danger of being so close but remaining so remote from scoring, in their first World Cup. They were making great effort to impose on the Japanese goal, Viduka yet again hitting a drive that Kawaguchi got down to superbly, but Japan finally wilted in the heat when a Lucas Neill throw from the left was met with Kawaguchi despairingly coming to punch but missed, and a melee in the box. Sub Tim Cahill, on for Bresciano, simply took aim and fired Australia's first World Cup goal ever into the net with six minutes of normal time remaining. Yet the lead could have returned to Japan when Cahill appeared to have brought down a Japanese player practically on route to goal in the box, the referee somehow denied the call.

The way Australia continued to come forward, they were not done, despite the minimal time available. A minute of normal time on the clock, Cahill emerged near the edge fo the box to hammer a shot off the left post then the right and in. Not to be outdone slightly, John Aloisi came forward in a two-on-two situation in front of the Japanese goal, the defender stumbled and allowed the former Coventry man to proceed and stroke in number three. It's a comeback, a superb one, one which may now question Japan's endurance under the heat as much as England's.


Now for me the USA v Czech Republic game should have been the one to have started at 2pm, then the Italy game then the Australians, so I presume yesterday's matches were in their order to appease evening time viewers. The Americans were keen but uninspiring, they passed around at times but found themselves heavily restricted as the Czech continued to chase and harass and close down, plus the Czech were way superior in the air, in all three areas. Countless times a high ball was met by a Czech player with some ease, nodding it down to a colleague than giving it away. I felt the USA had promise through DaMarcus Beasley's pace, the ingenuity of Bobby Convey, Eddie Lewis, Landon Donovan and skipper Claudia Reyna, and Brian McBride upfront. However the Czech were resolute, organised and kept within a strategic defensive plan of 4-1-4-1.

This formation afforded the Czech numbers to snuff out any attack and allow their full backs room to run down the flank, as Zdenek Grygera found to his fortune, meeting a delightful ball that kept in. Earlier inthe game Jans Koller was fouled by a firm Oguchi Onyewu presence behind him when they both challenegd for a high ball, something which I felt at first would spell for a 6ft-plus encounter throughout the match. However, as Grygera went to cross, 6ft 4in Onyewu ran to the by-line, leaving 6ft 7in Koller with 6ft 1in Eddie Pope. Onyewu hadn't covered the space near-post enough and Pope was sucked in by Koller's dummy run to the right. The cross was sharp and accurate, just right for Koller, who instead moved to his left and headed in a firm finish that Kasey Keller had little chance of blocking. Five minutes had passed, it was the kind of service that England should be giving Peter Crouch, who tips at the same height.

To their credit the USA fashioned a chance through Reyna, who struck the post from 20-25 yards, but the USA were to suffer from a similar shot 30mins later when Tomas Rosicky picked up the ball from 30 yards, was allowed space and time to tee up an effort that swerved away from Keller into the net. But an injury to Koller's leg forced the big man to retire from the match and potentially from the tournament, a suspected hamstring strain as the striker ran for the ball abd then dropped in some discomfort, clutching his right inside leg. Business went on as before int he second half with the Czech too superior to allow the USA any breathing space. Koller was replaced with Vratislav Lokvenc, at 6ft 4in almost like for like.

Rosicky had the freedom of midfield and along with Pavel Nedved strung along the American midfield like the pied piper. Rosicky almost added another with a shot off the crossbar but eventually notched a brace when a one-two with Nedved split the five USA players around them for Rosicky to run onto towards goal. Eddie Lewis was the last man and how he failed to notice Rosicky's run before it happened I don't know but his attempt to recover was futile as the recent Arsenal buy finished off for No.3.


Italy v Ghana was an excellent game. The Italians looked slightly out-of-sorts with known players either injured or on the bench and allowing for a changed line-up. As much as the Ghanians showed strength and battling playability against the Italians, the efforts of Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino was making waves with Francesco Totti in a play-making role. Toni gave extreme height advantage at 6ft 5in but the Fiorentina man used his feet mainly to tussle and drag the Ghaninan defence. The breakthrough came from Andrea Pirlo as Totti passed to him from a corner, the AC milan midfielder came in and took aim with an effort that went through all in the box and seemed to come off a player into the net. Totti dropped over a delightful ball later on for Toni to run onto and hit, his tame effort went away from goal for Gilardino to snatch onto, but even his efforts were to no avail.

Totti came off due to a worry after he was fouled, replaced by Mauro Camoranesi. With the one goal, Italy continued to press forward but so did the Ghanians, Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah fighting out the mazy runs from midfield. Gilardino came off for Vincenzo Iaqunita, and this made me think of Toni, Serie A's top scorer last season. Recall that the Premiership's English top scorer was Darren Bent, who IS NOT with the England camp. Iaquinta was through on goal at one point but was flagged offside, yet as he ran on the last man, Sammi Kaffour, hacked him down, knowing he wouldnt be penalised due to the offside infringement. Iaqunita rolled and looked up and saw nothing was given, came off for treatment and came back on. Kaffour for me should have been booked because it was not necessary.

However, little after Marcello Lippi took off Toni, who had been immense up front, for Alessandro Del Piero, Iaquinta gained revenge on Kaffour. Pirlo intercepted a weak pass and ran on to drop a ball over for Iaquinta to follow but Kaffour was favourite, only for the former Bayern Munich man to underhit a back pass, Iaquinta continued running, rounded keeper Richard Kingston and placed into an empty net. Kaffour kneeled with head to the ground almost in as much disbelief as he was for Bayern in 1999 in the Champions League Final. The Czech Republic have scored the highest aggregate with 3 clear goals, none conceded, so far, the Azzurri completed their first Italian job. For the Italians, I felt Fabio Cannavaro was superb at the back, cool defending, cool head, aware of all around him.




RedsMan.